Golf club head and manufacturing method therefor

ABSTRACT

A golf club head manufacturing method comprises steps of: positioning a first end of a sand core, which has a predetermined configuration, in a mold cavity of a mold assembly; injecting liquid wax into the mold cavity to thereby form a wax pattern in which a second end of the sand core is embedded; immersing the wax pattern and the sand core in plaster to form a plaster mold; heating the plaster mold to thereby melt the wax pattern for removing it and thus remaining the sand core; injecting alloy melt into the plaster mold to form a golf club head; and removing the plaster mold and the sand core from the golf club head. Thereby, a gap is formed and extended between a sole plate and a weight integrated with the striking plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related to a golf club head and a manufacturing method therefor. More particularly, the present invention is related to a golf club head integrally forming with a gap between a sole plate and a weight by pre-inserting a sand core in a wax-molding process so as to increase throughput.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it illustrates a conventional integral structure of an iron golf club head. A main body 10 is formed with a striking plate 11, a weight 12 and a neck portion 13. The striking plate 11 is adapted to hit a golf ball, the weight 12 adapted to lower the center of gravity, and the neck portion 13 adapted to receive an end of a shaft. Since the main body 10 is integrally molded by wax-molding process, no embedding or welding process is necessary for the main body 10, and thus no connecting joint and no welding portion are formed on its surface.

Hitting a golf ball, the main body 10 is able to prevent from absorbing a striking stress which actuates on the striking plate 11. Generally, the conventional main body 10 has an advantage of easy-to-manufacture and sustaining a striking stress hitting thereon. However, the weight 12 located at the back of the striking plate 11 is completely integrated with a sole plate 101, and thus a connected portion between the weight 12 and the sole plate 101 is large. And it may seriously affect an elastic deformation of the striking plate 11 as well as coefficient of restitution, COR, of the striking plate 11. Consequently, the conventional main body 10 is unsuitable for long-range striking.

The present invention intends to provide a golf club head integrally forming with a gap between a sole plate and a weight by pre-inserting a sand core in a wax-molding process. The gap is adapted to separate the sole plate and the weight adhered to a striking plate, thereby effectively narrowing a connection area formed between the striking plate and the sole plate. Thus, the narrowed connection area of the present invention accomplishes easy to manufacture the golf club head, to lower a center of gravity, and to sustain a striking stress in such a way to mitigate and overcome the above problem. Accordingly, the golf club head of the present invention is able to increase coefficient of elasticity and elastic deformation of the striking plate, and thereby it is suitable for long-range striking and mass production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of this invention is to provide a golf club head and a manufacturing method therefor, which is integrally formed with a gap between a sole plate and a weight that is regarded as a buffer space to allow elastic deformation. Accordingly, the golf club head of the present invention is able to increase coefficient of elasticity and elastic deformation of the striking plate, and thereby it is suitable for long-range striking and mass production.

The secondary objective of this invention is to provide the golf club head and the manufacturing method therefor, which is easily manufactured to form a gap between a sole plate and a weight by pre-inserting a sand core in a wax-molding process. Accordingly, the manufacturing method of the present invention is able to increase throughput of the golf club.

The golf club head manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention comprises steps of: positioning a first end of a sand core, which has a predetermined configuration, in a mold cavity of a mold assembly; injecting liquid wax into the mold cavity to thereby form a wax pattern in which a second end of the sand core is embedded; immersing the wax pattern and the sand core in plaster to form a plaster mold; heating the plaster mold to thereby melt the wax pattern for removing it and thus remaining the sand core; injecting alloy melt into the plaster mold to form a golf club head; and removing the plaster mold and the sand core from the golf club head.

The golf club head in accordance with the present invention comprises a main body, a sole plate, a striking plate, a weight and a gap. The gap is essentially formed and extended between the sole plate and the weight integrated with the striking plate.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings herein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an iron golf club head in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an iron golf club head in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a manufacturing method for a golf club head in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the golf club head in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sand core applied in the manufacturing method in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a mold assembly and molding a wax pattern in a first step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of drawing the wax pattern from the mold assembly in a second step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a rear view of the wax pattern combined with the sand core in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the wax pattern embedded in a plaster mold in a third step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the plaster mold releasing the wax pattern in a fourth step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the golf club head and its center of gravity in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the golf club head in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 12, reference numerals of the embodiment of the present invention has applied the identical numerals of the conventional golf club head. The construction of the golf club head in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention has the similar configuration and same function as that of the conventional golf club head and the detailed descriptions are omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, a golf club head in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 10 integrated with a striking plate 11, a weight 12, a neck portion 13 and an elongated gap 14. The elongated gap 14 is curved and extended between a sole plate 101 of the main body 10 and the weight 12 located on a rear surface of the striking plate 11. This results in difficulty in manufacturing an elongated gap or a curved gap in accordance with the present invention by the conventional wax-molding process. Accordingly, the manufacturing method for the golf club head in accordance with the present invention further employs a sand core 20 formed with a predetermined configuration to thereby mitigate and overcome the above problem. Consequently, the wax-molding process in accordance with the present invention accomplishes the golf club head that the main body 10 is preferably formed with a curved elongated gap 14.

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 6, a first manufacturing step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention is inserting a sand core 20 into a mold cavity 31 of a mold assembly 30 and positioning it in place. The sand core 20 is made of plaster material or the likes and shaped into a half arc piece. The mold cavity 31 of the mold assembly 30 is an assembling slot 32 and a positioning pin 33 adapted to position the sand core 20 in it. Correspondingly, a topmost portion of the sand core 20 is provided with an assembling lug 21 and a positioning hole 22 thereof at its first end. After the assembling lug 21 of the sand core 20 located at the first end is inserted into the assembling slot 32 of the mold cavity 31, the positioning pin 33 is able to extend through the positioning hole 22. Therefore, the sand core 20 is firmly fixed in the mold cavity 31 of the mold assembly 30, and a second end of the sand core 20 is suspended.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 through 8, a second manufacturing step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention is injecting liquid wax into the mold cavity 31 of the mold assembly 30 to thereby form a wax pattern 10′. Then, the second end of the sand core 20 is embedded in the wax pattern 10′. The mold assembly 30 is further provided with an injecting hole (not shown) connecting with the mold cavity 31. The wax pattern 10′ is formed when the liquid wax is solidified. The wax pattern 10′ has a configuration consistent with that of the golf club head, and is essentially consisted of a striking plate 11′, a weight 12′, a neck portion 13′ and an elongated gap 14′. In drawing pattern process, the positioning pin 33 is pulled out from the positioning hole 22 of the sand core 20 so that the wax pattern 10′ is drawn out from the mold assembly 30. Then, the second end of the sand core 20 is temporarily embedded in the elongated gap 14′ of the wax pattern 10′ where the elongated gap 14 of the main body 10 is located in the following process.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 through 5, 8 and 9, a third manufacturing step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention is immersing the wax pattern 10′ and the sand core 20 together in plaster to form a plaster mold 40. After the wax pattern 10′ is immersed in plaster or other molding material, the plaster may adhere to an outer surface of the wax pattern 10′ and the sand core 20 to thereby form the plaster mold 40. Subsequently, the plaster mold 40 is dried in the shade or baked by heat, and then hardened. Consequently, the assembling lug 21 and the positioning hole 22 located at the first end of the sand core 20 is embedded in the plaster mold 40.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 through 5, 9 and 10, a fourth manufacturing step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention is heating the plaster mold 40 to thereby melt the wax pattern 10′ for removing it from the plaster mold 40. And thus the sand core 20 is still remaining in the plaster mold 40. When the wax pattern 10′ is melting, it is dripping down from an injecting hole (not shown) of the plaster mold 40. The plaster mold 40 is provided with a mold cavity 41 after the wax liquid is fully discharged from the plaster mold 40. Since the assembling lug 21 and the positioning hole 22 located at the first end of the sand core 20 is embedded in the plaster mold 40, the second end of the sand core 20 is firmly suspended in the mold cavity 41.

Referring again to FIGS. 3 through 5 and 10, a fifth manufacturing step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention is injecting alloy melt into the plaster mold 40 to form the main body 10 of the golf club head. The alloy melt is selected from a group of metal or alloy according to product demand. After the alloy melt is injected into the plaster mold 40, it is cooled and hardened to form the main body 10 of the golf club head.

Referring to FIGS. 3 through 5, 11 and 12, a sixth manufacturing step of the manufacturing method in accordance with the present invention is removing the plaster mold 40 and the sand core 20 from the main body 10 of the golf club head. An operator can employ an appropriate tool to hit the plaster mold 40 and the sand core 20 and it is cracked and removed to obtain an integrated main body 10 of the golf club head. Consequently, the elongated gap 14 is formed between the sole plate 101 of the main body 10 and the weight 12 located on the rear surface of the striking plate 11. Finally, cutting, grinding and polishing processes can be successively treated on the surface of the main body 10 so that the appearance of the end product is enhanced and qualified.

Referring again to FIGS. 4, 11 and 12, the elongated gap 14 separates the sole plate 101 of the main body 10 and the weight 12 located on the rear surface of the striking plate 11 that it may narrow the size of the connection area. Also, a center striking area of the striking plate, which includes a sweet spot, is maximized to obtain the coefficient of elasticity and elastic deformation of the striking plate 11. Thereby, the main body 10 is suitable for long-range striking. Meanwhile, the present invention employs the sand core 20 in wax-molding process to form the elongated gap 14 of the main body 10 for various types of the golf club head. Thereby, the throughput of the golf club head is suitable for mass production.

Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, in order to obtain the maximum elastic deformation (coefficient of elasticity) and the maximum striking range, the main body 10, the weight 12 and the elongated gap 14 are preferably complied with the following processing conditions:

-   -   1. The weight 12 and the elongated gap 14 are commonly extended         along the sole plate 101 of the main body 10 from a toe end 102         to a heel end 103;     -   2. The width (a) of the elongated gap 14 is substantially in a         range of 0.5 to 8.0 mm;     -   3. The maximum thickness (y) of the weight 12 is substantially         greater than or equal to 2.5 times of the thickness (x) of the         striking plate 11 (i.e. y≧2.5x); and     -   4. A distance y′ between the center of gravity of the main body         10 and the sole plate 01 is substantially smaller than or equal         to 20 mm (i.e. y′≦20 mm) to thereby lower the center of gravity         of the entire golf club head.

Construction of the main body 10 of the golf club head shall be described in detail, referring again to FIGS. 4, 8, 11 and 12. The rear surface of the striking plate 11 is provided with a shallow groove 15, which is corresponding to a shallow groove 15′ of the wax pattern 10′. The shallow groove 15 of the striking plate 11 is successively extended along the toe end 102, the side plate 104, the crown plate 105 and the heel end 103. Preferably, the shallow groove 15 is connected to the elongated gap 14 for commonly extended on the rear surface of the striking plate 11 that a connection portion between the main body 10 and the striking plate is minimized. Consequently, the striking plate 11 is able to increase its elastic deformation and its long-range striking distance.

Although the invention has been described in detail with reference to its presently preferred embodiment, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. 

1. A manufacturing method for a golf club head, comprising steps of: positioning a first end of a sand core, which has a predetermined configuration, in a mold cavity of a mold assembly; injecting liquid wax into the mold cavity to thereby form a wax pattern in which a second end of the sand core being embedded; immersing the wax pattern and the sand core in plaster to form a plaster mold; heating the plaster mold to thereby melt the wax pattern for removing it and thus remaining the sand core; injecting alloy melt into the plaster mold to form a golf club head; and removing the plaster mold and the sand core from a main body of the golf club head; wherein an elongated gap formed between a sole plate of the main body and a weight located at a rear surface of a striking plate.
 2. The manufacturing method for the golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the sand core includes an assembling lug and a positioning hole thereof; and wherein the mold assembly is provided with an assembling slot adapted to receive the assembling lug, and a positioning pin adapted to extend through the positioning hole.
 3. The manufacturing method for the golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elongated gap and the weight are commonly extended along the sole plate from a toe end to a heel end.
 4. The manufacturing method for the golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the elongated gap has a width in a range of 0.5 to 8.0 mm.
 5. The manufacturing method for the golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the weight has a maximum thickness substantially greater than or equal to 2.5 times of a thickness of the striking plate.
 6. The manufacturing method for the golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the main body has a center of gravity and a distance thereof; the distance spaced apart the sole plate is substantially smaller than or equal to 20 mm.
 7. The manufacturing method for the golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear surface of the striking plate is provided with a shallow groove successively extended along a toe end, a side plate, a crown plate and a heel end.
 8. A golf club head substantially forming with an integrated main body, comprising: a striking plate coupled to a front surface of the golf club head; a weight incorporated into a rear surface of the striking plate, and being proximate a sole plate; and an elongated gap formed between the sole plate of the golf club head and the weight located on the rear surface of the striking plate.
 9. The golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elongated gap and the weight are commonly extended along the sole plate from a toe end to a heel end.
 10. The golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the elongated gap has a width in a range of 0.5 to 8.0 mm.
 11. The golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the weight has a maximum thickness substantially greater than or equal to 2.5 times of a thickness of the striking plate.
 12. The golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the main body has a center of gravity and a distance thereof; the distance spaced apart the sole plate is substantially smaller than or equal to 20 mm.
 13. The golf club head as defined in claim 8, wherein the rear surface of the striking plate is provided with a shallow groove successively extended along a toe end, a side plate, a crown plate and a heel end. 